Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-12-09
FMcmber OF the Forty.ninth Congress.
Member OF n preceding Congress.
The list of contested gcats Ia Ms follow
LAMAR'S REPORT.

Smalls, R...... Elliott, D...,.7th South G.
LAMAR'S REPORT.
Another Interesting Chapter on Land
| Stcniings-Cunning Devices Rcsortod to
| The Administrations.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-In the annual report
| OF the Secretary OF tho Interior there is one
chapter that should interest every citizen who
has read with shame and Indignation OF tho
| many fragrant Enclosures OF public lands Tho
papers transmitted from tho General Land
| Onice show that during the year 46j Illegal
Enclosures, aggrcgatng nm area OF nearly 7,0)o,-
| 900 acres, have been reported. Proceedings
| have been instituted in 13I cases. and special
agents report that in iGj cases the removal OF
| Illegal fences has been accomplished, throwing
| open to public use 3,3oi,OO) acres. In addition
| to this 100000 acres have been reclaimed by
| special agents sent from the oi1lco to New Mex.
leo and Wyoming The Secretary says:
"Only where corporate connivance and prodi-
| gal railroad grants cnmc to their assistance had
the cattlcmen still defled the law and rendered
| powerlcss the efforts OF this department to cor
| rect this abuse. As / write this report com
| plants come from n region little visited by my
| inspector that certain largo and wealthy cor.
| porntons, composed of foreigners, arc con-
| structing further enclosures within the railroad
limits. That others are only waiting to see what
action, II any, the Government proposes 10 take
| to prevent this, and are ready 10 pursue the
| same course II this can be safely dono. Within
the limits OF the railroad grants to-day exist the
| only large or cont nuous enclosures OF public
lands. This cunning device for violating tho
| law and furtherng their own ends at the cx.
| pensc OF settlement could never hive been
| made cnoctual unless the rnilroad companies
lad come TO the MD of these ca italists and
| cattlemcn. In Wyoming the railroads have
| parted with their titles to alternate sections of
| land which have been granted them and tho
| purchasers have erected fences upon them in
...I.~
| lie lands.
| In these latter instances the Government
has not been able to make any material prog
rcss, and the public domain has been thus ulo
| gally incloscd for more than two years. In
two cases the Government failed
| to obtain indictments because IL was i'm
possible to impanei grand iurcs which wers
| not composed mostly OF men guilty OF similar
| acts. To remedy this cunning evasion OF
| the law two plans have boon suggest The
| first is TO establish public highway around
| four rods widc-cvery section OF land the seo-
tion lines being the contcr of such highways.
Make this part OF the public land system. SO
| that all future entries mnde upon the public
lands should be subject TO this provision. Whel
| the land taken for such highways has passed
from the Government into the hands OF private
parties the bill should provide for necessary
compensation. This would require compar-
| atvely small amount, owing TO the present
low value OF these lands. An additional ad-
va ltagc too, would follow from these high.
ways in opening free access TO the
streams and water courses throughout the
whole grazing region now so completely and
exclusively controlled by n few TO the pcrma-
ncnt injury OF many desirous OF ranging stock
upon the broad uplands OF the public do
main. The second plan considered is to
lease the intermediate sections of public
land to the owners of adjacent railroad
sections. Such leased land should be
subject TO entry under the land
laws at any time, the lessees' rent terminating
from the date OF entry. Entrymen should have
a right 10 lease adjacent public land proper
tionate to the area entered, and gates should
be placed to suit the convenience OF settlers,
one every mile.
The Secretary calls attention TO the enormous
pr vate grants alleged TO have bcon made to
the holders by the Spanish or Mexican Govern
ments, n matter which he recommends be in
yestigated as soon as special legislation can be
enacted by which to cover 1t. Out of 4,000,-
900 acres the titles to which have bcen ex-
amincd by the Suryeyor.General during
the last year, IL has been decided that only
100000 acres are held by valid title. The
annual loss to the Government by the do
struction OF timber by fire alone is esti.
mated at 100000. To this should be added
the more important but secondary loss
which follows the destruction of the timber by
floods, land.slides, climatic changes OF u per-
manent character and the violations of the law
by dcprcdators upon the timber on public
lands Legislation Is needed which would look
TO the preservation OF the natural forest lands
at the hcadwatcrs of navigable rivers and also
n method of putting within the reach OF set
tiers u legal means OF providing them with
| timber for building their homes, fuel and other
domestic PURPOSES
The Secretary suggests that the public land
| strip be added TO the Territory OF New Mexico.
| When the matter OF Indian affairs is reached 1t
| is found that OF the remaining 1909 Indians
| under their supervision, about 5000 wear cit'
zens' clothes wholly; that 10,i77 houses are oc-
cupicd by them; that about 5000 can speak
English with sufficient intelligence for ordinary
| conversations; that moro than 1850 of their
| children nre in schools receiving educational
| and industrial training, for whom 237 schools
| are In operation, and that over 81 0o) famili es
are engaged In industrial pursuits They have
| cultivated over 23S,09O acres, built over $4,000
| rods of fencing produced over 759 900 bushels
of wheat, $4,000 bushels OF corn, 10000 bushels
of oats, 6s00) bushels of barley and rye, $500
bushels OF vegetables md $1,000 pounds OF
butter. Besides the above they have gathered
for use and sale considerable quantities of wild
rice, berries herbs, furs, Ash, snake root etc
They have sawed l,5je,oT9 feet of lumber, cut
1900 cords OF wood and 10000 tons of hay
They own over S9s 900 horses, 400 mules, 49,
OOo cattle. 5000 swine and I,i2J,00o sheep.
Droughts have seriously affected the yield OF
their crops the last year.
race has reached n crisis in its history. Sur
rounded on all sides by the forces OF cvlliza-
tioni nll the reservations closed In and pressed
| upon by ever'increasing masses OF population,
made up OF impetuous, daring and aggressive
settlers, miners, ranchmen and traders; with
| no possibility OF removal TO other reservations
| or OF escape into mountain Businesses the only
| alternative presented to the Indian race is alb
solutc extinction or quick entrance into the
| pale OF American civilization"
He compliments the Indian Freehold law and
| Its workings, but after reviewing the statistics
| OF Indian educational matters he says:
II have no pleasure in contemplating or in
| stating any unpromising features OF our work
among the Indians; but nm convinced that II,
| for their transition from the old to the better
and more systematic life, we continue to de.
pend SO fully upon the powers Of attraction, our
Government will continue 10 be troubled with
| the Indian problem for an indefinite period.
~ am persuaded that the question OF compul'
| sorry education OF oil the Indian youth of the
| tribes and bands under the care OF The general
| Government Is worthy OF early and serious con.
sideration. Any movement In this direction
should have the full warrant OF the law and the
| methods prescribed should be wisely adopted
ard nearly uniform as practicable, and
should be kindly and tudiciously, but firmly,
| enforced"
creased efficiency and diminished exp enditures
of the Pension ONCE, for which, he says, all
| the credit is due to the Commissioner. He
suggests that the orphan children OF deceased
| soldiers who may be entitled 10 pensions un.
! til they are sixteen years OF age should
be allowed to draw the same after that period
| II they are incapacitated for making livelihood
| and that soldiers widows who may remarry
and subsequently become widows or be di'
yorced without fault OF their own should have
| their pensions revived TO them.
| -
Much Needed Rain.
| EpRINarTFIp III Dac -1hara haa beau